TV boxes, cell phones and other items are seized by Anatel and the Federal Revenue Service in an operation against piracy

A National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) and the Federal Revenue Service carried out a major operation, called “Shanzai”, to combat the sale of unapproved telecommunications products. The action, which took place in Vitória, Espírito Santo, last Tuesday (26), resulted in the seizure of three irregular goods trucksincluding TV Box, Amazon Echo smart speakers, cell phones and accessories.

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The seized items, around 554 volumes, were sent to the customs warehouse in Rio de Janeiro. Among the confiscated products were approximately 200 TV Box sets, 50 Amazon Echo smart speakers, 200 cell phones and 2,500 cell phone batteries. In addition, “hundreds of thousands” of accessories were seized, such as chargers, Bluetooth headphones and portable batteries, totaling an estimated value of R$2 million.

The operation, coordinated by Anatel’s Inspection Superintendence with support from the Federal Revenue Service, also included representatives from brands such as Apple and JBL. The name “Shanzai” is a Chinese term that means piracy, reinforcing the focus of the action on irregular products, brought to Brazil by alleged Chinese criminal organizations that used shell companies and fraudulent invoices.

Anatel’s superintendent of inspection, Gesiléa Telles, highlighted the success of the operation in preventing hundreds of thousands of unapproved products from entering the national market. According to her, operations like this should be intensified in the coming months to strengthen the fight against piracy and promote a safer environment for consumers and companies.

Advisor Alexandre Freire also warned of the risks that pirated products pose to the health, safety and reliability of telecommunications networks in the country, in addition to harming companies that operate legally. He reinforced the importance of ensuring that only certified and safe products are sold in Brazil.

Anatel, in recent years, has been expanding its efforts to combat piracy. In addition to seizing irregular devices, the agency also works to take down pirated IPTV websites and platforms, blocking and arresting those involved in related illegal activities.